Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron | Yomna's Review

Thanks to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book!

Spoiler free review!

Look out for this book's release date in February 2017 

I really liked this book!

It's a perfect blend of Snow like Ashes and Rebel of the Sands. It's a great fantasy with a compelling plot and really fantastic characters. I really enjoyed it!

This book is about a girl called Khya, who is a female warrior in her clan. She discovers a conspiracy surrounding her brother, Yorri, and must ally with and trust her long-time rival Tessen to save him. The story is set on a magical island, and the world building is spectacular. 

Although, there is one thing I should point out though. There's a LOT of terms. Thankfully, there is a helpful glossary at the back to tell what gensu was and what other stuff is, there were enough new words to give me a headache. It's not necessarily a bad thing though, and for me it made the story that much more engrossing. 

It was surprisingly easy to get into this book, despite it being the first book in a fantasy series. I felt like the author didn't overwhelm me the details so I could get to know the characters first, whom are arguably more important. I mean, the setting is just an extension of the story; the heart of a story is in its characters. 

I really enjoyed reading from Khya's perspective. She's a pretty brave character and I really liked her superpowers. Tessen is also a really fun character to read as well as Yorri. I really enjoyed Yorri's backstory and the relationship between him and Khya. 

The side characters were amazing and well-written and impossibly diverse. I say impossibly because this is the first time I've really appreciated and read a book with so much diversity. I also really liked how the characters all felt real and had a significant role in the book; it didn't feel like the author wrote them in to check off a diversity checklist. 

I thoroughly recommend this book! Great read!